This weekend is the Canadian Grand Prix, one of the most popular and unpredictable races on the F1 calendar.

The key stat about Montreal is that it’s the least important pole position of the season. This means that, more often than not, things do not got according to plan in Montreal. Since 2000 the pole sitter has enjoyed a conversion rate to race victory of just 35%. And add in the fact that this year there are three tyre compounds to choose from and the softest one is not capable of giving you a one-stop strategy and you have what looks to be an entertaining weekend ahead.

Because of the nature of the track, high-speed and lined with walls, there is a 60% chance of a Safety Car and with very fast pit stops here of 18 secs due to a short pit lane, this is one of the races where strategy has the highest importance.

Overtaking is easy because of the long straights and tight bends, so teams have to plan their fastest strategy from lights to flag, using the tyre compounds available, but also to be flexible in case a Safety Car is deployed.

We have seen a lot of Virtual Safety car use this season already and we can expect to see more of that this weekend. There are some situations, such as two car collisions at the first chicane, where a full Safety car is required, however. We also had a high speed accident at the end of the 2014 race with Massa and Perez, which meant that the race finished under a Safety Car, with Daniel Ricciardo winning the race for Red Bull. In 11 of the last 18 Canadian Grands Prix we have seen a Safety Car.

A pit stop under a Safety Car in Montreal costs around 10 seconds of net race time, compared to around 18 seconds at racing speeds, so if the timing is right and you are in your pit window, it’s very tempting and we will probably see quite a few switches of strategy if it’s a race of incident.

This could be a race where we see a wide variety of different strategies, like China were 13 finishers used all three Pirelli tyre compounds.

The Ultra soft will be the qualifying tyre, but there’s probably an argument for trying to do what Ricciardo did in Monaco and try to get through Q2 on a set of super softs to start the race on. The performance of the ultra and supersoft in race conditions was not that significant in Monaco, while the soft performed very well in comparison.

Canada is quite a low degradation track, but it still stresses a tyre more than Monaco. We saw the Ultra softs do around 150km in the race in Monaco, which equates to 37 laps of Montreal, but I think the limit will be much lower than that due to the nature of the track.

The race is 70 laps and last year the supersoft maxed out at 33 laps and the Soft at 53 laps.

So for some runners with good tyre life, one stop might be possible in various guises. But equally, an aggressive strategy with two stops and softer compounds could also be competitive. Judging from the tyres that have been selected, with Renault and Haas F1 both deciding not to take any supersofts, the race is likely to be about the Ultra Softs and Softs for many runners.

But Montreal is a strange track and the temperature fluctuations in any given day are as big as any venue on the calendar. This can often catch people out. There is some rain forecast for Sunday, with Friday and Saturday likely to escape the rain, but the prevailing temperatures are low. This could lead some teams to have issues with tyre warm up, especially in qualifying and at the start of a race stint after a pit stop.

Last year the tyres were durable enough for most to do a one-stop. This year is likely to be more like 2014 where there was little to choose between one and two stops in race time although a two stop was clearly preferable if you could run in clear air at the front.

Canadian Grand Prix in numbers

Montreal is a race that tends to feature close finishes, according to F1 statistician Virtual Statman. In the last 13 runnings of the Canadian GP, eight of them have been won by a margin of less than three seconds.

Lewis Hamilton made another piece of history in Monaco as he moves closer to some all time great records. His win meant that he has now won at least one race in each of the last 10 consecutive seasons. Only Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher have achieved that. He has also now led 87 different Grands Prix, more than Ayrton Senna and second only to Michael Schumacher who led 142 races. Hamilton is closing in on Senna’s tally of 65 pole positions, he is now on 52.

Hamilton is the form man at Montreal with four wins there. He is also chasing a front row start there for the fifth season in a row. Red Bull and Mercedes are now tied on 58 pole positions each, so the battle on Saturday should be intense.

Although Montreal is a power circuit, there is a big emphasis on mechanical grip out of low speed corners, which is where the Red Bull excels. With the new Renault power unit having made a successful debut in Monaco, it should give the team a boost of around 0.4s a lap compared to the old unit. This won’t be enough to put the engine on a par with the Mercedes, but the combination of factors should put Red Bull into a position to challenge Mercedes there.

Ferrari has fallen back a little of late, with tyre management issues and a deficit on mechanical grip being a couple of areas of concern. However traditionally they bring a big update to Canada, so we will see how they perform this weekend. The last update in Russia, did not move them closer to Mercedes, which was demoralising. They cannot afford to have another update that is matched by Mercedes and which keeps them at arms length.

246 comments

Looking forward to this one. Montreal always seems to throw up an exciting race.

Hamilton has to be favourite for this one. If he does win, what a turnaround it will be in terms of the championship. Before Monaco, I thought it was done and dusted and the title was Nico's but not now.

I think the weekend will be all about Ferrari, their desperate new turbo upgrade and rear suspension is what its all about. If this doesnt turn them around this season, I see great things in store for Daniel Ricci 😀

Hamilton may be the favourite, but he has never won in Canada in consecutive years, indeed his first two wins were followed up with retirements the next year. There are so many variables this time, perhaps more than usual. I suspect he will still be below 100 points at the end of this race.

Yep Lewis should be gunning for victory.If the mechanics on his side of the garage get their act together and give him a gremlin free weekend. Or is that too much to ask for from Huey Duey and Luey to name but a few.

Gary, ok so Nico broke his energy recovery system and Lewis didn't! The drivers have just as much chance of damaging the ERS as they have of missing a shift and damaging the gearbox, or over revving the engine....

too much info missing from this post-Lewis had suffered plenty unreliability at the start of that season -He was leading the championship by 24 points going into the last race -There was that double points thing for the final race

not sure if you are or aren't a Hamilton fan but context goes a long way when looking at who does or doesn't deserve a wdc

Gary- [mod] as Martin brundle has explained many times they way in which the cars are setup and built it is virtually impossible for the driver to damage the gearbox through his driving and gear changes. The engine is in a very similar situation and I'm sure he won't hit his team mate again as long as Roseberg doesn't come out of corners in the wrong engine mode and then close the door way to late in him!

Last point first, the FI Stewards and the DSO disagree with your assessment of the accident, meaning that Hamilton was just as much to blame as Rosberg. Keeping in mind that they have far more data to base that decision on than we do.

In relation to the gearbox suffering "damage", the term Mercedes used, not "parts failure", or "wear and tear" etc. There is an opinion expressed that the damage may have occurred when Hamilton's Merc was hit from behind by Bottas in Bahrain, which was caused by Hamilton fluffing the start (again). So the driver, in this case Hamilton, most certainly can cause damage to occur to his gearbox by his actions, in this case his poor starting technique.

I've been thinking a lot about tire strategy over the past couple of days. The weather here in Montreal took a nose dive last Sunday and my weather app forecasts cloudy conditions through to race day with a high of 15 on Friday, 17 on Saturday, and a miserable 13 on race day. Lows of 8 on Friday night & 12 on Saturday night won't help. Track temperature will be quite low. Which teams do you think this favours James? Teams who struggle with warming up the tires could be in for a disappointing weekend.

Reckon Canadian Grand Prix has more claim to being the European Grand Prix than Baku. Awesome race circuit especially the Wall Of Champions.Hope Lewis goes full beans on the race circuit and grabbed another win.If Williams don't shine here also then they are 'really peeing into a bucket through a straw'.Force India could be a likely candidate for a podium. Red Bull and Ferrari may end up in their own tussle in the mid pack of the pack .Maybe Red Bull will give D.R. some comforting hugs while optimising Max's strategy...again.While DR chokes a chook ????in his side of the garage ????.

I couldn't agree more. Incidentally, Eastern Canada was once part of the same landmass as Western/Northern Europe, and Montreal is on the same latitude as Venice - thinking back to the 2011 Canadian GP the aquatic and canal analogies seem very appropriate.............Jesus, that race was straight of the Good Book, The Old Testament Part 1 being the Great Flood, The New Testament Part 2 being the Miracle of Lazarus (Button) comeback.

I wouldn't go round wishing Lewis Hamilton good fortune on this forum BK! You know the bile and dislike he arouses. I mean, think back to when he was booed in Melbourne, and the comments on this forum that he "lucked into" his victory at Monaco, blah blah blah. It makes you wonder if this well spoken, well mannered inter-racial tyro can do anything right, can he? Even if he wins on Sunday in a commanding style it will be "oh he's got the best car" sour grapes. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Having said, I've never heard any booing in Montreal for LH or anyone, but the Canadian spectators have always been above such nonsense, so good on them. Let's just hope after all the prima donna behaviour of the last few weeks has been used up for the year and just drive hard, but fair, and win lose or crash accept with good grace the result. I mean, it's not as if anyone was badly injured or died in Monaco, is it? That put things into perspective.

Anyway, enjoy the races, I'm off to France to watch some European football festival live in the flesh. Good luck to all the countries, may the best team win. As Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Romain Grosjean, Carlos Sainz Junior and the Hulk are all very keen on European footie, so they may even after Baku pop over to France to sample the Beautiful Game (Massa can be an honorary Portuguese).

I wouldn't go round wishing Lewis Hamilton good fortune on this forum BK! You know the bile and dislike he arouses. I mean, think back to when he was booed in Melbourne, and the comments on this forum that he "lucked into" his victory at Monaco, blah blah blah. It makes you wonder if this well spoken, well mannered inter-racial tyro can do anything right, can he? Even if he wins on Sunday in a commanding style it will be "oh he's got the best car" sour grapes. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Having said, I've never heard any booing in Montreal for LH or anyone, but the Canadian spectators have always been above such nonsense, so good on them. Let's just hope after all the prima donna behaviour of the last few weeks has been used up for the year and just drive hard, but fair, and win lose or crash accept with good grace the result. I mean, it's not as if anyone was badly injured or died in Monaco, is it? That put things into perspective.

Have a great time GazBoyWill also be watching the Euros (on TV) avidly, hope England at least get to the Semis (or further????). France and Germany are favourites followed by Spain then England in the betting. That's good in away with England having less pressure. Hoping the likes of Russia get knocked out in the first stages that would put a huge smile on the faces of the West. That with the Euro vision loss will be a kick in the teeth for the Harry Potters Goblin lookalike Putin !! ????

How often have those two words been used with reference to the national team, and it then went all pear-shaped?

If England go in with no expectations at all, and stay that way, then it could be good for them. As soon as they buy into any hype, they're toast.

I think it would be for the best for them to come up against one of the favourites (Germany, Spain, not so much France - hosts and all) early on. I don't think England will get over their beat-a-big-team-in-a-knockout-game hump deep into a tournament ... more likely to happen at the R16 stage.

Although to be fair in the last World Cup everyone thought we would do badly and we did!

There is a bit more optimism this time around as the team has moved on from 'the golden generation' and is full of young promising players. Realistically it is a squad building for 2018 World Cup but will be interesting to see how they get on in France. Quarter finals would be a step in the right direction.

Well we haven't even been in a QF since 2006 so I am trying to stay realistic! As I said, this young crop will gain good experience from this tournament and go again at the 2018 World Cup. Let's see how far they can go in France.

They got to last 8 at Euro 2012 ... lost to Italy in what else, PK's. Now they've added the R16 stage, with the 16 from 24 format (not a fan). At least it's better than the 3-team mini-groups they tried in 1982 WC ... that was horrendous.

NickHI'm surprised Australia hasn't tried to apply for the European Championship. I mean they've done The Euro vision Song Contest.Though the European teams would have a very easy win against the Aussie team.

To say he didn't have an element of luck in Monaco is naive. He drove a good race, made a call on the tyres that paid off and capitalised on the Rb pitstop error.We're not LH ' haters ' if we point that out.

@sarsippious.....wolffie has come out and said that hamilton's win in monaco was 'in part due to a big chunk of luck'. as for haters, well that term is totally incorrect. if his supporters insist on using that term then we are quite entitled to use the opposite when referring to them. which is.....hamilton lovers.

Kenneth, I don't think anyone is trying to say that Lewis' win at Monaco didn't have an element of luck involved, the problem was the "haters" seemed intent on describing it as 100% luck and not recognising that Hamilton's great driving had anything to do with it at all.

@sarsippiousI think"drove a good race" says it all. That's not luck, that's talent.Winning anything needs some kind of luck. Ask Verstappen, Rosberg. But we better wait before we ask DC because he hasn't had any of that "luck" yet. By the way, I thought Lewis drove fantastically as did DC, but one talent had a little bit more luck than the other talent. That's racing for ya.Roll on Canada????

True, but if you choose to ignore the probability that he would have been on pole if not for yet another car issue, and the fact that he was held up massively by a freakishly slow team mate in front of him until he was a quarter of a minute behind... then it kinda looks like you're bias is making you ignore facts. Which in turn can kinda look like hating...

"Probability" Hamilton would've been on pole without the qualifying issue? Based on what exactly?It is possible Hamilton could have set a better lap time had he had two clear runs, but that is just a possibility not a certainty and even if he did set a better time there is no guarantee he would've been faster than Rosberg never mind Ricciardo.

I would agree with you, there is no guarantee that Ham would have been quicker than either Ric or Ros. But based on the fact that Ham has out qualified both Ric and Ros every single race so far this season when he hasn't had some kind of mechanical gremlin or other, it isn't unreasonable to suggest he might have done the same again. Ham was ahead of Ros in FP1 ,2 and 3 and ahead of Ric in two of the sessions, he also got fastest race lap - so it was by no means in the bag for either of them. But at the end of the day it's all ifs buts and maybes - he did have a problem and only got one run in Q3 so we will never know what might have been.

Couldnt agree more C63. Thing is most people dont respect how much a perfect build up is required for every quali in F1 none more so than Monaco.It was certainly possible. I remember Alonso smashing everyone by half a second at Monaco 05 fists pumping, Flavio elated. Crowd went mad! Almost everyone thought that was The Lap!. till Kimi came out and blew him away by another 1/2 sec.One of the best laps Ive ever seen - maybe only Sennas 89' lap better.Just goes to show-You just never know-! until the very best have been given "equal opportunity"- this combination of words should be interchangebale with "rare" in the F1 dictionary.

You might be right that without his problems he would have set a better time but we will never know. It is not as if he is a class on his own regardless of how good he is. I am not his best fan for sure, so l am surely bias, but as far as being excited with regards to the race to follow, i feel whenever the Mercedes do not occupy the front row, we get better races. Regardless of who wins at the end. Marc

i dont like him either but he the best driver on the grid. i mean in his first season he beat a double world champion in his prime and should of won the championship if not for bad luck who else has ever done that?

Marc, firstly, hats off for being a poster on here who doesn't support Lewis but can be constructive and reasonable about it. Not enough people like you on here!

I'm a fan of Lewis, but I'm a fan of lots of other F1 drivers too. I certainly don't think he's in a class of his own, there are plenty of incredible talents on the grid but he's right up at the top no one can argue that. Although I concur that there are plenty of glory hunters who think he's the best thing ever and look daft because of it.

Regarding the races being better when the Merc's are out of contention, I'd be daft to say that's not the case too. Yes I'm a fan of Lewis but before that I'm a fan of the sport, and without competition, the sport suffers (although it seems CVC would like to push the sporting aspect away anyway!).

It just so happens that one of the top three drivers on the grid (my opinion) is in easily the best car. Until there's a challenge, yep, sadly, it's a bit dull. But then I've had to sit through 5 years of Schumacher and 4 years of Vettel. Both of whom I thoroughly dislike. So I'm enjoying (mostly) my time in the sun, even if it's a bit dull at times!

To be honest I think lots of fans found the Vettel 'domination' years quite exciting with 2/4 seasons going to the last race with different teams. Not much chance of that happening in the Mercedes Hyperdrive era. ????

Yes I agreed with what you said, and yes, if you selectively ignore facts (and probability!) it shows a bias that could be seen as hating. It's pretty straightforward, struggling to see what you're not understanding.

Your yet to state what facts I'm failing to suggest.My comment is based on facts that occurred in the race, not hypertheticals and what ifs throughout the weekend that you seem to imply that would or could make my comment seem biased. If that truly is your ' case' then it's an extremely weak one.Feel free though to make judgements on my personal character all you want.Must be lonely up on that pedestal your perched upon.

Lmfao.. Those 6 years I spent at Uni obviously wasn't enough to help me understand how that initial comment I posted somehow makes me a ' hater' still. Please though, do help. What facts have I selectively ignored to give you that impression? I personally thought I summed it up rather simply and effectively. I'll be sure to leave any token cuss words out of any further abbreviations in the future lest I find myself being questioned on the class, or should I say ' lack of ' I seemingly don't possess.

Mes, I'm actually a Kimi fan if I'm pressed to pick anyone.Was extremely impressed by seeing Danny Ric ring the neck out of that Redbull In Monaco though. I've got admiration for the way Lewis drives as well, although he annoys the life out of me with his off track demeanour. Doesn't mean I'm unable to give credit where it's due though. Each to their own..

Well stated MesPretty obvious what Sarsippiousis presenting in a disguised derogatory statement. You make your own luck in racing. But you also have to have the talent to exploit it, in the dogfight on track.Just something Sarsippious sarcasm might have missed !

@KRB...your last post arrived but has not appeared here....re 'being literary' my comment really was supposed to be TIC but obviously you took it as another opportunity to diss on me. how often have you seen the ridiculous statement, 'you make your own luck'? luck means the same as 'pure chance'. it cannot be manufactured and much and all as some people like to think that they are being clever minimising this aspect in order to push a particular agenda they are really only 'pushing their luck'.

Dislike for Lewis...You guys crack me.Remember, this stemmed from my initial comment stating he drove a good race, made the most of the opportunities that presented themselves and how a little bit of luck helped him along the way.Somehow though you spin it so I'm a hater. I'm happy to give credit where it's due, as I just did, however I'm not going to get caught up in the hype of the collective and give an Oscar for a well played informercial.

Sarsippious- "made the most of opportunities"-- now you've crossed the line. Remember Lewis Made those opportunities by taking a decision his team did not want. He Made up 12 sec on Ricciardo to catch up lost time stuck behind Nico and he Made those wets last. Yes he took his final chance when RBR- but what he then Made his ultra s last when nokne expected they would (emphasis added FYI) It was all those things he did before that was nothing short of inspired and put him in a position to take the win & that my friend is what makes a champion!. 6 years at Uni wont help you hide that and if you cant work out why it was a great victory- Im sorry but you may need another 6 more.

Derogatory? Are you for real? Re-read my comment and show me where you come up with that.In your haste to level criticism at anyone that dares to suggest Hamilton's drive in Monaco wasn't the greatest of all time, your seeing ghosts that just aren't there. I made a pretty simple observation, it's hardly rocket science!

@ KRB, you are aware i suppose that toto wolff has stated that, 'a bold strategy and a big push by hamilton and an EVEN BIGGER SLICE OF LUCK, enabled hamilton to win the race. in other words, the major pivotal point in his win was down to ricciardo's bad luck and hamilton's good luck. i think that this argument can now be put to bed.

@ KRB....re your statement inferring that i treat wollff as the 'greatest authority on F1'? rubbish. at least he is a credible source and knows more about F1 than most of the 'pundits' posting here. he is being honest about what happened. it just appears as though you cannot accept that. given both you and wolffie's explanations i will defer to the only one who is qualified and we both know to whom i am referring?

Kenneth, my head is spinning trying to keep up with the number of times you have contradicted yourself this week, now you say Toto is a "credible source", it was only a couple of weeks ago you were insisting that he was telling flat lies by claiming that the Merc customer teams received equal machinery, and that Mercedes do not tell their customers how to vote in strategy meetings!!

I think the point [which you are apparently avoiding] is that you cannot reasonably hold someone up as an expert witness one week and then, when they say something which you disagree with, claim they are a fool. This is something you have done several times, Lauda and Wolff are two examples which come to mind. Oh, and the stewards are another 🙂

As TimW said earlier, no one is disputing that luck played a factor in Lewis' win in Monaco. It just wasn't the only factor, just as Wolffie said. I fully endorse how Wolff summarized it ... a nice smash 'n' grab.

@ KRB....there is a world of difference between hamilton's problems and those of red bull that occurred in the race. i may be wrong but i presume that you are referring to the 'mechanical ' problems? if so then that is hardly the same as bad luck. usually a mechanical failure has a point of recognition. in otherwords there is an area of known failure...usually structural. the red bull failure was one of a systems failure/interpretation leading to a locational problem which led to a lengthy pit stop. no one could have possibly foreseen that and it was that incident that caused the problem for red bull. mercedes were handed that win as a result. it was 'pure chance'. that's how i see it. if i'm wrong then so be it but ATM no one has convinced me otherwise.

Really?? The tyres were in their blankets ready to use if required - it's not unreasonable that the strategist should be aware of their location and have an idea how long it would take to fetch them. It was an operational error and one that Red Bull have claimed will not happen again as they have now introduced protocols to avoid a repeat. Hams bad luck was the problem with fuel pressure didn't manifest itself until after he had left the pit box and the resultant delay in getting him back costs him one of his Q3 runs. Both had bad luck, as KRB said, and for sure Rics bad luck cost him dearly but it's disingenuous to claim that Hams bad luck on Saturday didn't cost him as well. As KRB said , this isn't the first race which Ham 'shouldn't' have won but the fact he was in the position to take advantage of an error by Red Bull was not luck at all - it was skill and nerve that put him there. And the fact he did what he did by taking on the ultras was, without any question, the catalyst for the events that followed at Red Bulls pit stop. If he hadn't taken the ultras then Red Bull would have stuck with their original decision and then Ric would have won. I think this argument can now be put to bed.

Ricciardo admitted as much in the press conference yesterday, that Mercedes and Lewis going to the ultrasoft's wrong-footed the Red Bull crew. That it needlessly wrong-footed them, doesn't reverse the fact that they were put in that state by Mercedes and Lewis.

Case closed, put it to bed, tuck it in, then bury it under metres of earth. Ricciardo said it, it's done! ????????????

@ KRB....you are joking i presume? an overheating fuel pump is a systems failure? yes, a failure in the fuel system but as an individual element, unless specified to be other, the overheating would most likely be a mechanical one/ probably friction related. however seeing as you a fount/font of information maybe you know better, so do me a favour and enlighten me. as a point of interest where are you posting from? if you are posting from the UK isn't it breakfast time?

Interesting ... is your bride Canadian? Both my mom and dad are from families of 6 siblings, but the majority (on both sides) immigrated to Canada. I now have just two aunts back in England, and one in Spain. Three remain in Ontario.

No, we're both English . My mum was Canadian and she and my dad met when he was stationed out there during WW2. They got married in Toronto (where she and her family lived) and we got married at the same Church 45 odd years later to the day! Ah, how romantic ????

To be fair Nick, he cannot reasonably try to add weight to his POV by highlighting his 6 years at Uni and at the same time expect others not to point it out when he drops a grammatical or spelling howler.

Biking on the circuit almost daily (other than GP week), I can attest that the neighbouring Ile Ste-Hélène harbours at least one very well-fed "marmotte", as we like to call them. Last winter was mild. Expect a groundhog or two.

So who will Red Bull favour in race trim.Max or Daniel ? Who will end up on misery avenue? The Aussie or the Dutch kid. I reckon the Dutch Kid is golden balls at Red Bull.So team will be helping him all the time.Lewis for the win.

@big VernI hope your wrong. Max is a fantastic talent and will give us some entertaining races, but DC is just as good and proberly better just through his F1 experience. Red Bull would be fools if they put all the eggs in one basket. I can see DC WDC before Max.

We usually go to this race, but cannot attend this year which is a real shame as it is always exciting and as James says, unpredictable (including the weather). We will have to watch as much coverage as possible and I am so looking forward to this race! Will be there again next year...

Williams will do well in Canada. They have performed better than expected in both Spain and Monaco in terms of race performance. Their race pace was competitive around the twisty parts. They have an efficient chassis with smaller rear flaps. Though I expect them to run with larger rear wings than Red Bull and Mercedes just to compensate the lap time deficit in the first sector.

There are limits on the maximum dimensions and limits on the the overall positioning of the rear wings in the F1 regulations. There are also limits on the number of elements and their dimensions. In simple terms, no one runs a "bigger wing" than anyone else, they can of course adjust the angles of attack of the wing elements. Generally expressed as running "more wing", not "bigger wings" as that would be illegal.

Not really, Merc have the most power and they utilise that power advantage to run "more wing" than most others. This creates additional drag which often (but not always) reflects in their lower top speed than the other teams running Merc engines. Particularly Williams, with Bottas and Massa not often far from the top of the speed trap data. It's not unreasonable to have the view that the Williams run less wing than the Mercs, not disregarding the fact that the William chassis overall could well be more "slippery".

Im pretty sure he is implying that Red Bull and Mercedes will be ruining with smaller than maximum rear wings, indeed we often see Red Bull running a skinny wing on high speed circuits, meaning he is correct to say Williams will be running a 'larger' rear wing by comparison, potentially running the maximum size, again compared to a skinny wing on the bull, to make up for lack of downforce otherwise inherent in the car.

Will be interesting to see how Rosberg recovers from the embarrassment that was Monaco. Must have dented his confidence somewhat, having to move over and let your teammate and title rival pass you because you are too slow.

@SebeeQuite apart from the fact that flipping a coin would suggest the results of a GP were simply a matter of chance, I thought you had read the 'script' for this season and the 'fix' was in. What's happened - you have gone from 'knowing' the results to simply guessing in a matter of weeks? Have they revoked your pass or something?

Well you refused to drink it so we are a little short on our sample size! I've had almost 15 cans but I can't manage anymore, so unless you're willing to hold your end of the log I'm afraid we won't be able to publish the results 😎

Well, when you sober up I might enlighten you, or I might not. You were very dismissive to start with and now, for whatever reason, your interest seems to have been piqued. On principle though, I'm reluctant to discuss this matter further as I don't generally offer a second opportunity after my first invitation has been declined!

I'll give you 2:1 Max smacks it. Others will be Rosberg, Botas and Palmer. Then it can be simply referred to as 'The Wall'.

Looking forward to quali and the tussle between Ferrari and Red Bull for higher points places. I think Ham has this one in the bag. Praying for rain and an Alonso podium for some variety. Jenson, Top Gear is calling.

It'll be interesting to see if Lewis can make a good start. He doesn't seem to have been able to recently. Monaco was different as it started under safety car, and luckily for him he was able to turn that into a win. Looking forward to seeing what max can do with the improved engine too.

Although Lewis is favorite you can't help but think something unusual might occur. I read on another site that Ferrari has spent 3 tokens on a upgraded turbo for vettell which they're hoping for a improvement that was promised on the last upgrade.......

Sir Tease, usually I would agree, I love to see Lewis in close combat, but my nerves can't handle any more shocks for a while. I'm hoping for pole, good start, steadily pulling away from whoever is in P2, and stroke it home. Hopefully Lewis' race is so boring the director chooses to ignore him and concentrate on all the action down the field.

Great track, one of the best of the season. I don't believe Ferrari are as bad as people are making out, it's just a case of making the tyres work properly, especially in qualifying. Their car seems to have a small sweet spot in terms of optimising the tyres. I don't think the high pressures help! Ferrari v RB should be good this weekend. Merc probably out of reach on this track but we shall see.

This one will be closer than previous events and mercs will have to run full power to win think.....order being ham, vet, ric, ves,ros

I am really enjoying this season, before monaco i thought ross will lucky this year and be champion, but after lewis just having a clean race you think hes going to win a forth title......after monaco i thought ros is a good drive but ham in a excellent driver .....and monaco proved the diff between a good deiver and a excellent driver

James i would like to know your thoughts on this and if you agree or dissagree

Finally i really want to see the true pace off the renault engine....is it really that good or did rebull flatter with there chassis in monaco???

Looking forward to the next 2 months of racing! Point of interest: How good is the Renault engine?With Max getting the new engine this weekend, looking forward to Daniel vs. Max. Can Max keep up with Daniel, especially in QualiWill Ferrri's updated turbo & suspension make a difference or are they going to be off the podium again?Most importantly, can Nico get over Monaco disappointments? Or this is when Lewis starts his dominance??Hoping for 3 teams fighting for the pole and the win!

Really looking forward to not only the Gp but also how Ric comes out after his Monaco disappointment.Hopefully the engine upgrade Redbull had in Monaco wasn't hid by the special nature of the track and it really is able to bring them closer to the Mercedes on a low downforce, high speed track that is Montreal. Would love to see all three, Mercedes, RB and Ferrari within a few tenths of each other so we have the tussles at the front we all yearn to see.Enough of the off track talk and drama, let's see it on the track. May the best driver win ( not so much the best car).

Still with the double backhand remarks. In that case...Sarsippious ye ol'mucker (east end Cockney speak)Well that's Lewis and Mercedes sorted.Best Driver Best Car being World Champion. Then the WilliamsThen the Force IndiaThen the FerrariThen Toro RossoThen the MclarensThen maybe Red BullFollowed by Sauber Manor.Mosultoff ????

It's a conspiracy.....Seriously though, I'm flattered you seek out and reply to my comments for no apparent reason. Your desire to make everything about Lewis is concerning. These derogatory, back handed and sarcastic messages you believe in aren't real.My life and every comment I post here does not revolve around Hamilton. It's actually a pretty good feeling, you should try it ????

Kenneth, the guy says that not every comment should be about Lewis, and you agree with him?!!! I am going to stick my neck out and say that of all the regular commenters on this site, the one who has the highest percentage of Hamilton based posts is you.

My nose is never buried in anything Sarsippious. I'm as free willed as the next man.Though I do like the smell of napalm and gasoline in the morning also also a bottle of bourbon wrapped around the latest edition of Hustler ???? and a pair of of high powered specs ???? as I think I'm going blind???? from the....drinking????

Lololol..Relying on team orders to pass his teammate and a major Redbull error also helped facilitate that win.Making those wets last was sound driving, although he really had no other option to when Ric pitted first, otherwise he would've given up track position and as he showed early on when he was stuck behind driving Miss Daisy ( that's Rosberg by the way), overtaking was something even Lewis the great struggled with.When Toto was asked after the race about the call on strategy, he mentioned how it was a decision from both the pitwall and Lewis to stay out, yet Lewis was quick to say it was all on him.Funny that isn't it. When he wins it's all because of himself yet when something goes amiss it's the team's fault. He's becoming more like Alain Prost everyday ( he's a 4* World Champion, around the time you were born it would appear) . If you truly believe that's one of the greatest wins you've seen then you haven't watched enough F1..

Sarsippious, Lewis forced Red Bull to bring Ricciardo in for interns first by being so much quicker than him on the full wets. If RB hadn't reacted to Hamilton's pace he would have undercut Ricciardo and gained track position anyway.

That's not accurate. The gap stabilised after an initial closing by Lewis.

In fact I just check James Allen's strategy post and he wrote this:

"It was now just about Ricciardo’s pace relative to Hamilton on similar wet tyres and protecting a lead. Hamilton had closed initially when he cleared Rosberg, but Ricciardo was able to then hold him at 12 seconds."

I wasn't born when Prost was winning his championships .I remember them well as I watched them. As an 10 year old at the time. Yes I've been to GPs throughout my life. Only missed 4 home grand prix since the age of 10. I have seen to name a few ....Andretti Hunt Lauda Watson Senna Prost Mansell Hill Frentzen Schumacher Mika KImi Hamilton Button Vettel Hamilton as Champions.So I have seen some real changes in Car development demise of teams and deaths in the sport.Now then where did I put that Mag and Bourbon ????

I seriously doubt Williams will be anywhere near the front. More likely they will be eating dust of RB and Ferrari like they have all season. They should start work on next year's car already if they have any sense.

@ nick H ...yes, williams have been decidedly underwhelming all season so far. they appear to be somewhere between top and bottom mid field. smedley is sounding more and more like sam. their drivers are both uninspiring as well. they seem to lack any flair and excitement. ho hum, hum,hum.

Underwhelming is an understatement Kenneth.Williams have either already given up on this year's car and are putting all their eggs in the 2017 car.Or they need a new design team.They maybe fast in the speed traps around Canada but in terms of race readiness the car lacks Zip on the Zag and Zag and the Zip. The car always loos as if it wants to go a different way unless it's man handled in the braking zones.

Underwhelming is an understatement Kenneth.Williams have either already given up on this year's car and are putting all their eggs in the 2017 car.Or the need a new design team.They maybe fast in the speed traps around Canada but in terms of race readiness the car lacks Zip on the Zag and Zag.

Looking forward to seeing the pecking order at this round. I suppose Merc will still be at the front. However after they were beaten on true pace in Monaco it will be very interesting to see if they can be challenged by RB at this circuit with it's differing requirements.Psychologically, an important race for Rosberg. He needs to compete or Hamilton will steamroll him. Personally I can't see it happening.DR says he has put Monaco behind him, we'll see if that's true this weekend. Hopefully the garage can stay out of the way and we get a straight fight between him and Max. Though RB being RB there might always be question marks in that regard.Gypsy Lady Crystal Ball prediction... Ferrari to be VERY strong.

“At Monte Carlo it gave us exactly what was promised, which was about 0.2s,” he said. “That certainly helped to achieve pole position, so hats off to everyone in Viry, they are doing a great job at the moment.

“The upgraded power unit has delivered exactly what Renault said it would and that’s certainly a positive as we head towards more power-related circuits. We’re relishing the prospect of the next few races.”

Nice to hear RB mentioning their engine by the name of the manufacturer rather than the watch badge. Hope they can sort out their differences and give Max a car he deserves. It's looking like it's going in the right direction.

One of my favourite races of the year. Often produces a great event, last year being a bit of an exception.

Hoping that both Mercs get a fair run at it. Lewis will slaughter Nico if the weather is sketchy on Sunday.

Looking forward to the pressure cooker at RB giving us some entertainment. Max with the upgraded engine will be interesting. I think they've played it right there. Let the number 2 use it first to get Max wound up then watch him go!

🙂

Joking, before the DR fanatics have a meltdown! Speaking of whom, let's hope he doesn't get "screwed" by his team again or his bottom lip is going to be like a DCS (Drag Creation System).

Looking forward to some sweary outbursts from Seb. If they're behind RB again there's the chance for much hilarity!

Hope DK can get a solid race under his belt, my god he needs it.

And finally I hope that Sergio can get another good result. He can run well here.

Whatever happens, a good race would be the best result. Hope you all enjoy it.

Hope you are right as far as Ferrari getting a boost. Would love to see a fourth winner for the season and 6 or 7 different winners by the season end. I am very poor at picking winners in all sports but i have this feeling that Vettel will be on the top step of the podium this SfeelingOne can always hope right? Marc

Either the turbo will catch fire like Australia, or Ferrari get back the half second or so people say they toned down their PU by after Australia. We already saw a fight for the win between the Oldest and Youngest driver with Max and Kimi; Also the most aggressive overtakers Ham and Ricci went at it in Monaco; What remains to be seen is the German pair of Nico and Vettel slugging it out for a win and the honor of being the top German driver in the next race!

As with every GP, i am excited about Sunday's race. We have been spoiled this year so far with the exeption of the Russian GP and hope the Canadian GP follows the vein. I am hoping for a Ferrari win, preferably a Vettel one but will take a Kimi victory with pleasure. The wall of Champions has not been much of a factor the past few years/races, hope it plays a role again this year. If as forecast, the rain is present on Sunday, it should be well worthwhile staying awake for me as the race start is at 2 am where l live. Hoping for a fine race tegardless of the winner. Marc

James, I had the mother of all questions I have been meaning to ask, maybe you would be able to answer after checking the rule book!When Kvyat and Max exchanged teams, while they took their own points along to the other car, the PU allocations didnt carry over with the drivers but stayed CAR specific.

Thus, Max inherited Kvyat's PU parts change schedule and vice versa.

So its car wise I get it.. but now, WHAT IF AT THE END OF THE YEAR within the same team itself we find one driver who can prospectively win the WDC but is faced with a grid penalty for say change of gearbox or a Power unit element change, taking it beyond the allowed quota for the year; If they SWITCH the two drivers within the garage between say Car+PU Alpha and Car+PU Beta.. the Title Contender could get away with not having to take the grid penalty while his team mate takes the penalty driving the car afflicted by the quota limit? Shouldn't this be possible?

If anyone in the world can find out, its probably you! And if this is indeed possible by the rules now, will they block it if you ask them? 🙂

There is nothing in the rules that specifically would prevent that, that I can recall. You can be sure there would be, if a team tried it.

But say Ricciardo is close in the title race, but is near a penalty. You could have him and Kvyat swap seats for a race, one where the Toro Rosso might be close in performance to the RBR car, and then have Kvyat take the penalty in the Red Bull, then switch back for the next race. The only limit is that any one team can run a maximum of 4 drivers in a season.

But The Engine Quotas are CAR specific, and drivers can change cars like max and Kvyat did.

I guess the reason for change of car must be a well worded clause 🙂 But is it really 😀 Redbull lawyers are the smartest.. maybe we will see them eventually displaying some fantastic wit if push comes to shove, with something even more complicated. If they deflect their wings, god knows what else they can deflect. So much fun!

Buoyed by his win at Monaco and changeable/ wet conditions - Lewis will romp away with another Canada victory. If its dry he will win even more comfortably. Ferrari & RBR will exchange paint and so too Williams and Force India. Best brakes & best brakers win in Montreal. We've seen big names fail with their brakes here.. So fingers crossed they last and we get a good indication of RBR / Ferraris PU upgrades.. Really keen to see if Ferrari have impoved their traction with the rear suspension upgrade- this may decide whether they can compete at the remaining races!

F1.com has just posted a video of a lap of Montreal in 1992 from Michael Schumacher.

What happened to those beautiful curves towards the end of the lap where he passes the car in front? I never knew these previously existed. Shame they seemed to have got rid of what looked like a fantastic little sequence of corners.

Montréal, quelle belle ville!And great for Formula One racing.The weather has been weird this year, with a stalled, cold, dry spring suddenly 'hotted-up' to steaming 30 degree weather within about two days, now we have dropped down to spring-like temperatures (what climate change!?)At the time of my writing this comment, it is 8 degrees Celsius at 09h20 EDT (5 hours behind the UK).Tires will be a factor with the crazy temperatures!While Friday and Saturday should get into the low 20s (still cool), Sunday currently has a forecast high of only 16 degrees!Any team having difficulty getting heat into the ultrasofts, are going to want to use the tires that they can best get heat into, what ever compound that may be!If you are going, where a warm jacket, as the wind may shift around to be coming off the water.

So it's hard to tell, but this is a power track, and Mercedes are the favourites.That being said...... there is internal strife at both Mercedes (no, it definitely hasn't gone away) and Red Bull (with the new photogenic superstar-kind taking the stage).Aggression like this may lead to a roller derby; I expect attrition, and lots of safety cars, a key strategic consideration.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to the (even more than usual) uncertainty.